During Bangladesh's few stunning successes in the last World Cup, cricket pundits talked most about the inspiring flow of a bunch of young players from what is popularly named the High Performance programme.
But unfortunately it is the area, which has been held back most since the immediate-past elected body absorbed the High Performance (HP) Unit into Cricket Academy's development programme.

The country got some talented cricketers like left-handed opener Shahriar Nafees, paceman Shahadat Hossain, wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim from this programme and what many believe is that the HP is the best thing that happened under the advisory panel of Ail Asghar before the farcical election in 2005.

Many concerned people with the development activities however observed that the intensity of work in this most important area has slowed down gradually once the advisory committee was demolished.

Lack of coordination and a proper monitoring system were the main reasons behind the fall and what many felt then was that the game development committee desperately needed a dynamic leader who could bring in fresh vigor and vision to take the activities few steps forward after Arafat Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaled Zia, had stepped down.

Now the question is whether the new games development committee chief Lt Col M Abdul Latif Khan (retd), the former team operations manager of the national team, will revive the activities?

The retired army man however said that he at least could identify the problems behind the stagnant situation in the activities of the development committee.

"I agree that the activities in this important area was held back and what I have realised after talking with my colleagues in the last few days is that lack of coordination is a big problem. What I also feel is that there is a lack of planning and we have to take some decisions to step up a gear or two," said Latif yesterday.

"We have to reshape everything. There is all the paperwork but you need to take care whether the programme runs properly," he added.

He also said that everything was visible during the two-year stint of coach Richard McInnes, who even worked with the discarded players from the national side in the off-season in an extensive training programme.

"Unfortunately it was completely missing since the Australian (McInnes) left the job. But my question is why? You know, even the local coaches were not properly used in the development activities," he observed.

One might argue that there is an Academy, which runs the different programmes, but it is hard to compare their mere activities with the high-standard training under McInnes.

Latif was also straightforward about the double-role of Shaun Williams as the board even failed to properly utilize the Australian to intensify the development activities.

"There was nothing wrong to appoint him as an interim coach but what everybody should understand is that he has a much bigger job in his hand as a national game development manager. We have to suffer heavily if we neglect the grassroots level," he said.

Right at the moment, the committee's main job however is to prepare everything for this month's Academy tour to Australia but the problem is that many already have raised questions about the necessity of the trip.

A close sources said that BCB are all set to spend huge amounts of money, more than Tk 80 lakhs, for the visit in Darwin although there is doubt about the opponents.

"Nobody can understand why BCB is going to misuse the huge money," said an insider in the board on condition of anonymity.

Latif however was not ready to say anything on the issue.

Looks like Richy Mac's in their thoughts ...

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"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)